Adventure Magazine Cover — page 120: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

oe - to the Broadwell House. . and waved his hands for silence. 118 “Just looking ’round te see if it’ll pay another season to freight direct to the camps instead of reshipping from Denver. I’ve gone direct to Buckskin. Ought to be able to deliver direct to other camps. We'd better be going.” Goss turned back into the hut long enough to pocket several tin-types and make aroll of his blankets. As they walked down the slope Whip King asked: “What can Ido to help you? Expecting any mail?” “No mail. If any comes for the Pilgrim —Fllis is his name—tell them to forward it Scarcely any one here knows hisname. I’m making a call at the express office now to see if he has a letter. Find the Indian and tell him to look for me there or at Londoner’s store. Tell him I’m run out and will go with him tonight.” + “Vou’ve got to have a hoss. have two.” “1 can pick them up down below. Prob- ably at Cameron’s.”’ As they entered the straggling street, curious glances were cast at Goss and his dark face flushed. He knew word had passed that he was run out. His blanket roll advertised his departure. But after they had reached the express office and had decided it would be better for Whip King to ask for mail under the name of Ellis, excited voices began calling down the street. “No mail!” snapped Whip King, darting from the office. “But what’s up now?” “Must be bringing in the Pilgrim,” mut- tered Goss. ~Don't sound like that. Something big has happened. Prob’ly big war news.” The excitement spread up the street and engulfed them. ‘Sioux have broken out!” loudly shouted a man. People poured from huts and tents. Questions came so fast as to be unintelli- gible. The man mounted a drygoods box Then he Oughter to announced: “Word has just been received that the Sioux have declared war and are raiding the whole frontier. Minnesota is overrun and all settlers killed who have not escaped to the Mississippi. Minneapolis is burning. The Nebraska border has been pushed back. All the Plains tribes will join in. It means well be eut off from the East. We'll be Adventure attacked if our troops ain’t sent back here from Missouri.” Although greatly exaggerated as to the success of the outbreak in Minnesota and the number of bands or tribes turning hostile, the street orator’s lurid announce- ment was accepted at face value. Colo- rado’s position was peculiarly dangerous and the far-sighted were fearing what they be- lieved must come soon, a general uprising of the Plains Indians. | Even though the red forces were success- fully stood off from Denver and valley towns, the mountain camps must be aban- doned should the Utes join hands with the Plains tribes. _ The greatest hardship would be the pri- mary question of food. Already a delay in wagon trains making Denver meant a boost in prices. With an Indian war to blockade the freight trains, there would be danger of starvation. Gulch merchants who heard the dire prophecy darted back into their stores and began marking up their goods. Goss smiled grimly and observed: ‘“‘About the only one to draw an ace out of this mess is the Pilgrim. Every one will be shy about wandering around looking for him. I’m going to Londoner’s store. Hf you see the Rabbit send him to me there.” A RED curtain was strung along the eastern skyline as Goss and the Rabbit ended their fifteen- mile walk through the darkness ¥ and left the treeless valley to enter among pine-covered hills. The first rays of the morning sun lighted a desolate stretch of dead trees, skeleton forms, grim and fan- tastic. The Rabbit said the trees were killed by elk eating the bark and often girdling a trunk. They passed through this dismal grove and came to another that was orderly in its green dress. This was the last barrier be- tween them and the shore of the lower of the Twin Lakes, a wonderful emerald nearly four miles long and more than a mile wide at its greatest width. Here was peace and quiet, and Goss wished to halt and rest. “The singing man is at the upper end,” explained the Rabbit as he continued to lead the way. He kept on and Goss limped after him for three miles. When they halted it was close to the narrow barrier, a twenty-foot-high bank which all but separated the upper from (EO) ,0O AMC cS com